my approach

 
 

One of the things that I value most about my approach is that it is hard to describe exactly what I do – every person has their own needs.

Even individuals who enjoy writing can become demoralized when facing a blank page. In academic settings, students are often given the intimidating task of mastering large amounts of subject matter and then producing an original thesis and a succinct argumentative essay. When applying to colleges or universities, students receive the paralyzing message that their personal statement will determine the rest of their life, but that they need to be loose and creative as they craft it. Writing for school and for the privilege of attending school sometimes seems to present insurmountable emotional, cognitive, and psychological dilemmas.

How can I compress the essence of my complex life into a 650-word college essay? How can I create an original thesis and a concise essay on a subject that is unfamiliar to me or on one that I love too much to abbreviate?

Writing can appear to present us with limitless options, and many people are anxious when they do it and never really happy with what they produce on the printed page. My holistic approach helps students to resolve these dilemmas in two ways. First, I show my students that writing, like science and math, can actually be taught. If you understand certain principles and follow a set of relatively easy rules, writing loses its mystery. When you have an arsenal of tools, the printed page no longer looms as a threat that you seek to avoid. Instead, it becomes an opportunity for you to fluidly construct a story about yourself or a paper about something you have read. Second, the experience of learning to write is far better when you have a companion. Whether I am helping a student to discover within themselves the ideas and style for their college essay or to come up with a thesis they are proud of, I support the student in all aspects of the experience. Writing is an activity that exposes us to others. When we have a sense of mastery and have internalized an encouraging and accepting voice, writing loses its power to stymie us and becomes second nature.

Services I offer:

  • Individual Tutoring

  • College Essay Help

  • Graduate School Essay Help

  • International Student Applications

  • Assistance with Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

  • Professional Writing

  • Learning to ‘Gut’ Reading Material Efficiently

  • What’s at Stake? – Creating an Original Thesis for a Difficult Paper

  • Empathic Listening: Brainstorming, Letting You Vent, and Finding the Good Ideas You Were About to Let Go